Trump says Iran war 'very complete, pretty much' while Pentagon says 'Only Just Begun to Fight'

In a phone call with CBS News, Trump said the war with Iran was 'very complete, pretty much' and that Iran's military capabilities had been wiped out. Within hours, the Department of Defense's rapid response account posted 'We have Only Just Begun to Fight.' When a reporter directly confronted Trump with this contradiction at his Florida press conference, Trump responded 'You could say both,' refusing to acknowledge the incoherence. The same day, Defense Secretary Hegseth said the war was 'only just the beginning.' Trump simultaneously claimed the war was a 'short-term excursion' despite having called it 'major combat operations' on February 28. The contradictions came as Iranian attacks on US assets and allies continued unabated in the region.

"You could say both" — Response when reporter pointed out that Trump said the war was 'very complete, pretty much' while the Defense Department said 'We have Only Just Begun to Fight'